1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to miniature electronic elements and particularly to an improved design and method of manufacturing for a single- or multi-port connector assembly having visual status indication capabilities.
2. Description of Related Technology
Modular connectors, such as for example those of the xe2x80x9cRJxe2x80x9d configuration, are well known in the electronics industry. Such connectors are adapted to receive one or more modular plugs of varying type (e.g., RJ-45 or RJ-11), and communicate signals between the terminals of the modular plug and the parent device with which the connector is associated. Commonly, some form of signal conditioning (e.g., filtering, voltage transformation, or the like) is performed by the connector on the signals passing through it. Additionally, such connectors often include visual indicators for providing the user/operator with a visual representation of the electrical status of the connector. Such visual indicators may include, for example, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which emit visible light at one or more wavelengths, such as one xe2x80x9cgreenxe2x80x9d LED and one xe2x80x9cyellowxe2x80x9d LED.
Many different considerations are involved with producing an effective and economically viable connector design. Such considerations include, for example: (i) volume and xe2x80x9cfootprintxe2x80x9d available for the connector; (ii) the need for electrical status indicators (e.g., LEDs); (iii) the cost and complexity associated with assembling and manufacturing the device; (iv) the ability to accommodate various electrical components and signal conditioning configurations; (v) the electrical and noise performance of the device; (vi) the reliability of the device; (vii) the ability to modify the design to accommodate complementary technologies; (viii) compatibility with existing terminal and xe2x80x9cpin outxe2x80x9d standards and applications; (ix) ability to configure the connector as one of a plurality of ports, potentially having individually variant internal component configurations, and (ix) potentially the replacement of defective components. Additionally, in those designs requiring visual indicators, the presence of the indicators can has significant implications for the rest of the connector design. For example, certain types of visual indicator arrangements may preclude certain internal component configurations, adversely affect connector electrical performance due to radiated EMI, etc.
A variety of different approaches have heretofore been used to provide visual indication of electrical status within modular connectors. See for example, the approach disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,317 to Pocrass (hereinafter xe2x80x9cPocrassxe2x80x9d), wherein a plurality of LEDs are disposed within recesses formed in the front of the connector housing. The LED conductors in the Pocrass design are run backward through the connector and then downward to the substrate (i.e., PCB), along the top and back walls of the connector. This design suffers from several disabilities, including for example (i) the use of LEDs with comparatively long electrodes, thereby increasing the potential for radiated EMI from the LEDs which can reduce connector electrical performance; (ii) complex molding techniques to produce the needed passages for the LED electrodes; and (iii) the need for individualized insertion of each LED, thereby increasing labor cost. The approach of Pocrass also does not permit ready removal of the LEDs once inserted within the connector, since the electrodes must be deformed again after initial deformation to permit removal.
Additionally, the design of Pocrass is not well adapted to instances where the LED electrodes terminate to the substrate near the forward wall of the connector, since there is no convenient way of routing the electrodes from the LED to the substrate within the connector without taking a circuitous route or displacing other components.
Aside from Pocrass, other approaches to providing visual indicators have been used, such as mounting the LED directly to the substrate, and using either a light pipe or prismatic element to route the LED light to the front face of the connector. These approaches generally suffer from the disability of higher cost and complexity, since not only must the LED be placed and electrically bonded to the substrate, but a complementary light pipe or prism must be manufactured and disposed within the connector housing so as to cooperate with the LED. Such light pipe arrangements also tend to suffer from reduced luminosity as compared to xe2x80x9cdirect-viewxe2x80x9d light sources such as the forward-facing LEDs previously described. Additionally, as with Pocrass, individual treatment of each LED/light pipe/prism is again required, thereby increasing manufacturing cost.
Based on the foregoing, it would be most desirable to provide an improved apparatus for providing visual indication in an electrical connector (e.g., modular connector) and method of manufacturing the same. Such improved apparatus would ideally be cost and labor efficient to manufacture, reduce or mitigate radiated EMI as compared to prior art solutions, economize on space within and the footprint of the connector, and allow for the insertion of multiple light sources within the connector assembly at once, thereby reducing labor cost. Furthermore, such improved apparatus would be compatible with most any internal connector configuration, thereby providing the designer with the maximum degree of flexibility in choosing connector internals and indicator combinations.
The present invention satisfies the aforementioned needs by an improved apparatus and method for providing visual status indication in an electrical connector assembly.
In a first aspect of the invention, an improved light source sub-assembly for use in a connector assembly is disclosed. The light source sub-assembly generally comprises at least one light source (e.g., LED) and a carrier element adapted to physically receive and carry the light source(s). The light source further comprises a plurality of electrodes which are configured such that the light source is disposed in a desired orientation with respect to the connector housing. As such, the light source sub-assembly is inserted into a corresponding recess formed generally in the frontal area of the connector housing, and the light source is oriented within the connector assembly such that the light source can be viewed from the desired location (e.g., front face of the connector housing). The electrodes of the light source are routed directly downward to the substrate or external device to which the connector is mounted, thereby minimizing electrode run length (and EMI generated thereby). In one embodiment, the sub-assembly comprises a single carrier molded around the electrodes of a single LED, the LED and carrier being adapted for use as xe2x80x9cendxe2x80x9d indicators in a single-or multi-port connector assembly. In a second embodiment, the sub-assembly comprises a single carrier with two LEDs arranged in juxtaposed configuration and adapted for use in the interstitial regions between two adjacent ports in a multi-port connector. This dual-LED arrangement not only conserves space within the connector, but also permits insertion of two LEDs simultaneously, thereby simplifying manufacture.
In a second aspect of the invention, an improved connector assembly for use on, inter alia, a printed circuit board or other device is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a connector housing having one or more ports (i.e., modular plug recesses such as for receiving RJ-type plugs), a plurality of conductors disposed within the recess for contact with the terminals of the modular plug, and an electrical pathway between the conductors and a corresponding set of circuit board contacts. The improved connector assembly also includes at least one other recess for receiving a corresponding light source sub-assembly of the type described above. Each light source sub-assembly is constructed to substantially reduce electromagnetic coupling between the light source and the connector""s signal paths, thereby reducing the amount of noise introduced by the operation of the light source(s).
In one exemplary embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single modular plug recess (port) having two light sources (e.g., LEDs) disposed relative to the recess and adjacent to the modular plug latch formed therein, such that the LEDs are readily viewable from the front of the connector assembly. In this embodiment, the connector assembly also comprises two recesses for receiving two light source sub-assemblies, with each sub-assembly comprising one light source. The LED electrodes (two per LED) are routed through the light source sub-assembly so that when the sub-assembly is inserted into the sub-assembly recess, the LED electrodes mate with respective contact points on the circuit board or other external device to which the connector assembly is mounted.
In a second exemplary embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single row, multi-port connector housing having a plurality of plug recesses arranged in a side-by-side orientation. Associated with each plug recess are two light sources. Three light source sub-assemblies having different constructions (i.e., two effectively xe2x80x9cmirror imagedxe2x80x9d end sub-assemblies and one or more interstitial multi-light source sub-assemblies) are inserted into corresponding recesses formed in the housing in order to provide a pair of status indicators per plug port.
In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a multi-row, multi-port device having unitary light source sub-assemblies associated with each column of ports.
In a third aspect of the invention, an improved electronic assembly utilizing the aforementioned connector assembly is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic assembly comprises the foregoing multi-port connector which is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a plurality of conductive traces formed thereon, and bonded thereto using a soldering process, thereby forming a conductive pathway from the traces through the conductors of the respective ports of the connector. In another embodiment, the connector assembly is mounted on an intermediary substrate, the latter being mounted to a PCB or other component using a reduced footprint terminal array.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, an improved method of manufacturing a light source assembly is disclosed. The method generally comprises: providing a first light source and a second light source each having a viewing surface and a plurality of electrodes associated therewith; deforming the electrodes of the first light source into a first configuration; deforming the electrodes of the second light source into a second configuration; disposing the first and second light sources such that the viewing surfaces of the light sources are juxtaposed; and forming at least one carrier element around at least a portion of the electrodes of the first and second light sources.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, an improved method of manufacturing the connector assembly of the present invention is disclosed. The method generally comprises: forming a connector housing having a front face, at least one modular jack port and a first and second recess each formed at least partly in the front face; providing first and second light sources having a viewing surface and a plurality of electrodes; deforming the electrodes of the first light source into a first configuration such that the light source can be received within the first recess with the viewing surface being viewable from the front face of the housing; deforming the electrodes of the second light source into a second configuration such that the light source can be received within the second recess with the viewing surfaces being viewable from the front face of the housing; inserting the first light source into the first recess, the electrodes of the first light source being positioned to mate with an external device; and inserting the second light source into the second recess, the electrodes of the second light source being positioned to mate with the external device.